Counter mechanism



Sept. 25, 1951 H. N. BLISS COUNTER MECHANISM Original Filed June 22, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l A? GALLONS A? DOLLARS CENTS /3 25 gwumvtoo HAP v EY N BLISS a 0 4 z/awz %w z m i T 4mm 1 0 H m m w 7 1|. u 1 o o .1. T8 87 l a d I I M T8 007: o a a a 5 z a V w M 3/ 7 E Mn 31 x O 0 0 0 w E CC V w 4 3 2 r f m1 a a c O M 3 e 5 3 Z 5 7 3 P 1951 H. N. BLISS 2,568,709

COUNTER MECHANISM Original Filed June22, 1949 v I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 .rJa f Q 2337 a "a6 35 7i 5 3a m J I l l l 98 -20 l0 an M? 00 000 r 99 l? /6 I o g 9 o /a4 A30 Q l i I A/ 95 2 3e 2e 3 7 15%;? VEY NBL/JS Sept. 25, 1951 H, BLISS 2,568,709

COUNTER MECHANISM Original Filed June '22, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HAFZ VEY N 521015 WWW Sept. 25, 1951 H. N. Buss 9 COUNTER MECHANISM Original Filed June 22, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 him? VEY N BLISS Sept. 25, 1951 uss 2,568,709

COUNTER MECHANISM Original Filed June 22. 1949 s Sheets-Slieet 5 M 5 fig/5 H RVE N BL/Js Patented Sept. 25, 1951 COUNTER MECHANISM Harvey N. Bliss, Windsor, Conn., assignor to Veeder-Root Incorporated, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application June 22, 1949, Serial No. 100,563. Divided and this application June 22, 1950, Serial No. 169,703

12 Claims.

This invention relates to registering or counting apparatus and has particular application in mechanisms having means for registering the total amount or number of units of material dispensed, and means for registering the total cost of the material dispensed on each transaction. As an instance of a use to which the improvements of the present invention may be applied, reference may be had to apparatus for dispensing gasoline or other fluids and wherein it is desired to register both the number of units dispensed and the cost thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus of this sort having various features of novelty and advantage and which is particularly characterized by its simplicity and economy in construction, the same comprising a relatively few number of parts which may be economically manufactured and readily assembled; by its compactness in that the assembly occupies a relatively small space, this being of advantage in that it will permit of reduction in the height or size of a pump casing in which it is desired to house the same; by the ease and facility with which the counter wheels may be read, these wheels, in spite of the compactness of the arrangement, being relatively large; by its accuracy and effectiveness in operation in that it will correctly register the amount and the cost of the liquid dispensed under all operating conditions of the pump system with which it is associated; and by the readiness with which the counting devices may be reset to zero.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

This application is a division of my application Ser. No. 100,563, filed June 22, 1949.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown one embodiment which the present invention may take:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the registering mechanism with the cover thereof in place;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, the cover being removed;

Fig. 3 is a front view with the cover removed; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the mechanism as viewed from the right, referring to Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 4

2 with part of one side plate and part of the shifting mechanism of the invention being removed;

Fig. 6 is a view, partly in front elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of one of the cost indicators, the parts being shown in counting position;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 and showing the reset shaft and the pawl of one of the counter wheels in resetting position;

Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken on the line B8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a pawl through which each wheel is driven during a counting operation and reset during a resetting operation;

Fig. 10 is a side view of one of the counter wheels and an associated transfer pinion;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing on a larger scale the interlock mechanism for preventing resetting under certain conditions and driving of the counter apparatus under other conditions; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary top plan view of the interlock mechanism shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view of the interlock mechanism taken substantially on line l3-l3 of Fig. 12.

Referring generally to the construction shown in the drawings, A designates a frame in the opposite ends of which are mounted, for axial movement, shafts it and H upon each of which are located, in end to end or aligned position, two indicators, one a cost indicator and the other a quantity indicator. While it is not necessary in connection with certain features of my invention that the shafts H} and ll be also mounted for rotation, in the present illustrative disclosure they are so mounted. The cost indicators are respectively designated by the letters C and C, and the quantity indicators by the letters Q and Q. Each indicator comprises a set of numeral wheels with transfer means therebetween. It will be noted, particularly from Fig. 2, that the cost indicator and the quantity indicator at one end of the mechanism are respectively behind the quantity indicator and the cost indicator at the other end of the mechanism; that is to say, in top plan view the indicators are symmetrically positioned on the frame, the cost indicators being in diagonally spaced position and the quantity indicators being in diagonally spaced position in the other direction. As the Wheels of the indicators C and Q and the wheels of the indicators C and Q are to be viewed from opposite ends of the apparatus, the wheels of the indicators at opposite ends of the frame are arranged in reverse order to one another and, as hereinafter described, all of the wheels of indicators are so rotated during a registering operation that the numerals thereof are consecutively brought downwardly into the windows I? and I3. With the arrangement described, the same readings in the same order may be had when viewing the register from either end, and, therefore, confusion is avoided. The registering mechanism may be housed in a cover D which is shown in Fig. 1. The cover is provided at each end with two windows I2 and 53 positioned in side by side relation so as to register with the respective quantity and cost indicators. respective windows may appear the indicia Gallons Dollars Cents, as shown in Fi l.

The quantity indicators Q and Q are driven through a bevel gear l4 (Fig. 2) carried by a shaft l5 which may be connected to the shaft of a meter (not shown) of a dispensing pump or the like. The cost indicators C and C are driven by a bevel gear [8 carried by a shaft 5! which may be driven through a variable speed mechanism or so-called variator in selected timed relation to the shaft [5 and in accordance with the selected unit price of liquid dispensed. The gears l4 and IS and their shafts extend through a large opening formed in the base of the frame A. The variator is not shown as it may be of any suitable type such as that illustrated in the patent to. Edward A. Slye No. 2,111,996 granted March 22, 1938. The several indicators are adapted to be simultaneously reset to zero by turning a main or operating reset shaft located between the reset shafts S and H and geared thereto as later explained. When the apparatus is in condition for a registering operation, the reset shafts if; and i! are in such axial position (see Fig. 6) that they remain stationary while the wheels may rotate thereon. When it is desired to reset the indicators, these shafts are shifted axially to a resetting position (see Fig. '7) in which the wheels are operatively associated with these shafts so as to turn therewith. For the purpose of simultaneously shifting these shafts, a shift bar i9 is provided.

Referring more particularly to the frame or supporting member A, the same comprises a generally rectangular plate having, adjacent each side margin, an upstanding web bolted to the edges of said plate and in which are journaled the shafts l8, H and i8 and also countershafts 2| and 22, these countershafts being positioned between, and in t@ plane of the reset shafts Hi and H. Each of the reset shafts is also supported between its ends by a bearing provided by a post 23 arising from the plate of the frame.

All of the indicators are similar in construction, arrangement, and operation, and the arrangement of the indicators at one end of the machine is identical to that at the other end. As here shown, each indicator may comprise a set of three counter wheels. The counter wheels of each of the cost indicators are respectively designated by the numerals 25, 26 and 27, and these wheels may respectively represent units of cents, tens of cents, and dollars, for example. Each of the wheels has, on its periphery, numerals running from 9 to 0. The wheels of the quantity indicators are respectively designated by the numerals 35, 36 and 31, and these wheels may respectively represent fractions, units, and tens of gallons of liquid dispensed. Each wheel of each indicator is provided with a driven gear 38.

Below these E 1 Referring now to the driving connections for the cost indicators C and C, the bevel gear' l6 (which, as previously stated, may be driven by a variator) meshes with a bevel gear 49 fixed to the countershaft 22 to which is fixed, adjacent its opposite ends, spur gears H and 42, the former of which meshes directly with the driven gear 38 associated with the wheel 25 of lowest order of the indicator C. The other gear 42 is in mesh with an idler gear 43 which, in turn, meshes with the driven gear 38 of the first wheel 25 of the indicator C. The gear 43 is freely journaled on the intermediate shaft 2!. With this arrange ment, it will be seen that the numeral wheels of each of the cost indicators will be rotated in such direction that, during a registering operation, the numerals thereof move downwardly into the windows 13 provided therefor. Referring now to the driving connections for the quantity indicators Q and Q, the bevel gear 14 (which, as previously stated, may be driven by the meter shaft through the variator) meshes with a bevel gear 45 loose on the shaft 2| between the ends of the latter. Fixed to this bevel gear is a spur gear which directly meshes with the driven gear 38 of the fraction wheel 35 of the quantity indicator Q. The driven gear 38 of the fraction wheel 35 of quantity indicator Q is driven from the gear 43 through an idler unit freely rotatable on the shaft 22. This idler unit comprises a gear 41 meshing with the gear 46, and a gear 48 fixed to gear 4? and meshing with said driven gear 38. With this arrangement, as in the case of the cost indicators, the fraction wheels of the two indicators Q and Q are driven in opposite directions, but in each instance the numeral wheels, during the registration, move down into registry with the respective windows l2 at the opposite ends of the cover.

All of the indicators being of like construction, a description of one will suflice for all. Referring particularly to Figs. 6 and 7, wherein is shown, partly in section, one of the cost indicators, for example the indicator C, it will be seen that each wheel has a disk portion 50 and a cylindrical rim 5i on the periphery of which the numerals appear. The wheel is pinned or otherwise secured to one end of a hub 52 having a through bore for accommodating the reset shaft 1 I. This hub has radiating webs 53, one of which is radially slotted, as at 54, so as to accommodate a pivoted pawl 53. The pawl is normally urged into cooperative engagement with its respective driven gear 38 by a compression spring 71, one end of which bears against a rear edge of a pawl and the other end of which is seated in a recess 18 at the rear of the slot 54. The right-hand end of each hub forms a cylindrical bearing 5? on which is journaled the driven gear 35. On the left-hand end of each wheel is a combined two-toothed driving gear and locking disk 65 which cooperates with a transfer pinion 51 (see Figs. 3 and 10) through which carrying operations are effected. The two teeth of the driving gear are off-set from the plane of the locking disk. A notch 64 is also formed in the disk, and the rear edge 63 of this notch forms an abutment or stop shoulder adapted to cooperate with a stop member '60, as will be later explained. The transfer pinions are rotatably mounted between the wheels on rods 88 which are supported in suitable bearings 61 (Figs. 5 and 10) provided on posts 62 arising from the base plate of the frame A. As is usual, the transfer pinion has alternate long and short teeth and all of these teeth are adapted to mesh with the teeth of the associated driven gear 38; the two teeth of the driving gear 65 cooperate with the transfer pinion while the wheel of lower order is turning from 9 to 0 so as to advance the wheel of next higher order one step; and the longer teeth engage the periphery of the locking disk so as to prevent rotation of the transfer pinion and the driven gear associated therewith at all times except during the transfer operation.

Referring now more particularly to the construction of the pawls 55 and their relation to the driven gears 38, each pawl is shown, for illustrative purposes, as being in the form of a flat piece pivoted at one end on a pin 69 extending across aradial slot 54 in the web of the hub of the wheel '(see Figs. 6, 7 and 8). It will be observed that the pawl is pivoted for swinging movement in a radial plane which includes the long1- tudinal axis of the wheel. The free or outer end of the'pawl is provided on its extreme end with a number of fine V-shaped serrations or teeth H! which are adapted to engage complementary teeth ll provided on the associated driven gear. There is a complete internal frustoconical band of these teeth 1 I The teeth on the pawl and the teeth on the driven gear are complementary, they being of similar size, pitch and inclination so that they will properly intermesh. The size of the teeth is somewhat exaggerated in the drawings in the interest of clarity. In practice, there may be three hundred teeth H in each band and the sides of the teeth may be at 60 to each other in cross section. The arrangement is such that when a pawl is engaged with its driven gear and the latter is rotated during a registering operation, the pawl is securely wedged between its pivot and the driven gear so that a positive driving engagement is maintained but the teeth are quite small or fine in order to insure proper engagement of the pawl with the driven gear after such resetting operation so that during such engagement there will be no displacement of a counter wheel from its zero position to which it has been set. More particularly, it will be noted that the teeth 10 of the pawl are generally tangential to their are of swinging movement, they being, however, slightly inclined outwardly so as to allow for manufacturing tolerances and to permit the pawl to move into wedging engagement with its driven gear without interference. With this arrangement, the direct line of thrust exerted by the side surfaces of the teeth while driving the gear is slightly above the point of pivot of the pawl. Preferably, the line of thrust does not deviate more than 10 from a component passing directly through the pivot of the pawl.

In the present illustrative arrangement, the wheels are rotated in one direction during a registering operation and are rotated by the reset shaft in the opposite direction during a resetting operation. In the drawings, the directions in which the several elements are rotated during a registering operation are indicated by feathered arrows. Unfeathered arrows indicate the direction of rotation during resetting. As the driven gears SB'are always in mesh withthe transfer pinions 61, and such pinions are held against rotation by the locking disks 66, except during a transfer operation, it is necessary to disengage the pawls from the driven gears preliminary to a resetting operation and then reengage them with the driven gears after the setting operation has beencompleted. Engagement and disengagement of the pawls with their drivengears 38 assets are effected by axially shifting the reset shafts l0 and l I. As hereinafter explained more in detail, during the resetting operation the wheels are non-positively or frictionally engaged through the pawls to their respective reset shafts and the reset shafts are turned more than 360 and, pref erably, through one and one third revolutions. In order to stop the numeral wheels when they are reset to zero position, a reset stop member is associated with each numeral wheel. These stop members may be identical in construction. The stop members which are in the form of plates are pivoted on the rods 58 extending across the frame beneath the two sets of numeral wheels. The stop members are mounted generally in the respective planes of the locking disks 5% with which they are associated. Each stop member has an upwardly extending nose 165 with a rearwardly facing shoulder against which the heretofore described shoulder 53 of the respective locking disk is adapted to engage when the wheel has been reset to zero position, as shown in Fig. 10. When the locking disk is turned in a registering direction, the nose I will ride upon the periphery of the disk. Each stop member is urged towards its respective locking disk by an individual spring 65 interposed between the lower edge of the stop member and a cross rib I61 arising from the frame A. In order to limit the extent'of swinging movement of the stop member towards its locking disk, the stop member has an edge 568 which is adapted to engage against the periphery of the locking disk as shown in Fig. 10. Lateral movement of the stop members is prevented since they are closely interspersed between the transfer wheels 6'! and posts 62.

Referring now to the arrangement for disengaging the driving pawls 55 from their respective driven gear preliminary to resetting the wheel, it will be observed, from Figs. 6 and 7, that each pawl 55 has, adjacent its pivoted end, a lobe or projection 14 adapted to extend into the bore of the hub 52. The shafts it and II have circumferential grooves 15 which freely accommodate these lobes when these shafts (see Fig. 6) are in non-resetting position so that registering operations are not interfered with by the shafts. Each groove 15 is V-shaped or transversely curved in transverse section. When the reset shafts are shifted to the resetting position shown in Fig. '7, the lobes l4 ride out of the grooves and onto the cylindrical portions of the shafts between the grooves 15. Thus, the pawls are carnmed out of engagement with the driven gears, as indicated in Fig. 7.

' The pawl springs I1, aided by springs 80, resiliently urge the lobes into frictional engagement with the shafts during a resetting opera tion. However, to insure ample frictional connection between the wheels and the reset shafts l0 and I I so that movement of the wheels to their zero positions by the shafts will be assured under all conditions of operation, additional frictional connecting means are provided, as follows: The shafts l0 and II are each provided with a longi tudinal spline 16 which is of less width than that of the lobes of the pawls so that the latter will not engage therein. A friction disk 19 is disposed adjacent one face of the hub 52 of each wheel and is held in freely rotatable association there-.

with by a flat annular retaining member 89 having at its periphery a plurality of laterally extending ears 82 which extend through suitable slots in the adjacent locking disk 85 and disk portion 50 of each wheel, the free end of each ear 32 being bent over or peened to fix a retaining member 8i to each wheel. The wheels freely rotate relative to the friction disks during registering operations of the wheels, said disks each having a fixed key portion extending into the spline 16 of one of the reset shafts to prevent relative rotation therebetween and insure that during resetting operations rotation of the reset shafts will be imparted to the friction disks. Each pawl is provided with an additional compression sprnig of such length and position that the spring is efiective only during a resetting operation. However, said spring 89 is then COlllDlBSSECl by the pawl 55 and exerts force against a friction insert or shoe 83 which may bewof any suitable wear resistant friction material such as cork. The insert 83 is mounted in a suitable socket in web and is urged by the spring t into frictional engagement with friction disk is when the pawl is moved to the position shown in Fig. 7. At the same time the spring 88 adds its force to that of the spring Ii to increase the frictional engagement between the lobe of the pawl and the periphery of the reset shaft. If desired, the insert may be backed up by a metallic disk 83. This arrangement also permits the spring i? to be made lighter and thus reduce the energy necessary to cam the pawls to resetting position when the reset shafts I and I2 are moved axially from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7.

To recapitulate, it will be seen that when the reset shafts are in the non-resetting position, as indicated in Fig. 6, the springs I1 urge the pawls into driving relation with the associated driven gears 38 and the counter wheels may be rotated in a counting direction relative to these now stationary shafts. During the registering operation, the driven gear 38 of the wheel of lower order of each indicator is driven through the respective train of gears described and,upon a complete rotation of each wheel of lower order, the wheel of next higher order is advanced one step through the transfer mechanism between the wheels. When a driven gear 38 is thus driven, the associated wheel rotates in unison therewith as it is clutched to the driven gear by the associated pawl 55. After the registering operation has been completed, the reset shafts It and II are shifted longitudinally to the circumferential grooves I5. It is observed that the pawls serve both the purposes of a driving connection between the wheels and their driven gears during the registering operation and to establish a resetting frictional connection between the wheels and the reset shafts during the resetting operation and, upon shifting of the reset shafts in opposite directions, the pawls are respectively engaged with and disengaged from their driven gears. As previously explained, when the pawls are re-engaged with their driven gears, no appreciable error is introduced. It will further be seen that all ofthe counter units are substantially identical to one another except that the driven gears 38 of the wheel of lower order are slightly different from the driven gears of the subsequent wheels. This means that the cost of providing a variety of different parts for the several wheels is eliminated and the wheels may be assembled from the same stock of parts so that economy in production and assembly is had. With the arrangement of pawls and driving gears described, these elements may be very economically manufactured and they are very proficient in operation.

As shown in Figs. 3, i and 5, the mechanism is illustrated as having a totalizing counter 92 for registering the total amount of gasoline dispensed during successive dispensing operations and a totalizing counter 93 for indicating the total cost thereof. Each of these counters may be of the usual non-reset type having a succession of numeral wheels 95 with transfer pinions therebetween. The totalizing counters are mounted in a narrow frame 96 secured to the main frame A beneath the quantity indicator Q and the cost indicator C. The first or unit wheel of the totalizer 92 is connected to the driven gear 3-8 of the fraction wheel 35 of the indicator Q by a combined gear and pinion unit 91. The first or unit wheel of the totalizer 93 is similarly connected to the driven gear of the cent Wheel of the cost indicator C. It is observed that, with the arrangement described, the

totalizers are associated with the respective inclined sides of the grooves "I5 are cammed out of engagement with the driven gears 38. The lobes now frictionally engage the cylindrical portions of the reset shafts and the insert 83 of each wheel is urged into frictional engagement with its friction disk 79 by the spring 80 so that upon turning the reset shafts the counter wheels are frictionally returned to their original zero positions. This is accomplished, for the most part, during the first complete revolution of the reset shafts, but if any of the wheels should not be fully returned to zero position during that period due to slippage between the pawls and the shafts, the wheels will be brought to full zero position owing to the fact that the reset shafts are turned one and one-third revolutions. After the resetting operation has been completed, the shafts are moved back to the non-resetting position shown in Fig. 6 whereupon the lobes of the pawls freely extend into quantity and cost indicators in a very simple manner, the driving connection between each totalizer and its associated indicator merely being in the form of a gear and pinion unit 91.

The reset shafts I I] and II are turned in resetting directions by the main reset shaft I8 through the gears and 86 at the left-hand side of the right-hand web 20 of the apparatus (see Fig. 2) and the train of gears shown in side elevation in Fig. 4 and in top plan at the right-hand side of Fig. 2. The shaft I8, at either end, may have a slotted head 84 for accommodating a key, not shown, by which it may be manually rotated to reset the apparatus. The driving gear 85 is arranged to be driven by main reset shaft I8. Fixed to shaft I8 is a clutch plate I92 provided with a plurality of diametrically opposed conical recesses I93 which are spaced different distances from the axis of shaft I8, as will be seen from Fig. 13. Gear 85 is provided with a pair of conical lugs I94 arranged to be complementary to recesses I93 and be received therewithin at one angular position of the gear 85 relative to plate I92. A spring I95 on shaft I8 extends between gear 85 and one of a pair of nuts I96 adjustably mounted on a threaded sleeve I91 fixed to shaft I8. The other nut I96 is a lock nut whereby the tension of the spring I 95 may be adjusted to vary the force exerted by gear 85 against plate I92.

-'; This construction is primarily to prevent an operator from rapping the reset handle (not shown) connected to one of the slotted heads 84, while resetting the wheels in an effort particularly to move the reset shaft relative to one or more of the quantity or cost wheels so that some of the wheels will lag behind the shaft movement and, after the reset shaft has completed its cycle, some of the wheels thereon will be out of zero position when the others are at zero position and the mechanism is otherwise in condition to start a registry operation. If, for example, one of the cost wheels is advanced from zero position when such registry commences, the total cost at the completion of registry will be greater than it should be and a customer will be overcharged. The totalizing counter 93 for the total cost will not show such advance of said one wheel since such rapping will merely move one of the wheels relative to its driving wheel 38 and the reset shaft on which the wheel is mounted. In the present arrangement, the slope of the conical walls or faces of the lugs I94 and recesses I93 is such that any rapping movement attempted by a quick sharp blow on the resetting handle will cause the lugs and recesses to disengage with the result that the resetting shaft I8 will not be moved and the handle will have to be turned a full rotation to reengage the gear 85 and clutch plate I92. The tension of spring I95 is adjusted so that it will hold the gear 85 and 2;

plate I92 in clutched engagement to effect connection between the resetting crank and gear 85 when the crank is turned at a normal intended speed to reset the wheels, but the inertia of the resetting gears and reset shafts is such that the tension of said spring will be overcome if the reset handle is rapped and cause separation of the gear 85 and clutch plate I92 as described above.

The load imposed upon the connection between said clutch plate and gear is greatest at the initiation of resetting movement of reset shaft I8,

due to the simultaneous camming of all of the I pawls 55 to the positions thereof shown in Fig. 7 by longitudinally shifting reset shafts I and II. Thus, to insure against at least complete separation of said gear and clutch plate under such initial load, gear 85 is provided with a short lateral arcuate rib I85 shown in Figs. and 13, which is engageable with a face of an upstanding member I89 fixed to the base of frame A. The distance between the outer end of rib I85 and said face of member I86 is less than the length of the portions of lugs I94 which extend into recesses I93, whereby, if said lugs and gears separate somewhat during the imposition of such initial load, the rib I85 will be moved into sliding engagement with member I36 before the complete separation of lugs I94 could be effected from recesses I93. The length of rib I85 is such that it will be engageable with member I89 until main reset shaft I8 has rotated sufficiently to complete the longitudinal shifting of reset shafts I0 and II to their resetting positions shown in Fig. '7 by means of shift bar I9 and cam I04.

The driving gear 85 meshes with gear 86 which is fixed to the shaft 2I. Fixed to the left-hand end of said shaft 2I (referring to Fig. 2) is a wide gear 87 which meshes directly with a gear 98 fixed to the left-hand end of the reset shaft II.

The gear also meshes with a wide intermediate or idler gear 90 freely journaled on the shaft 22, and the gear 99 meshes with a gear 89 fixed to the left-hand end of the reset shaft I0. Gear 89 is fixed to shaft 2| at the left of right-hand web and another gear 99 is fixed to said shaft on the outer side of said web 20. Gear 98 meshes with another gear 99 which is freely rotatable on reset shaft I8. Thus gear 85, through gears 86 and 98, drives gear 99 and the ratio of said gears is such that two revolutions of reset shaft I8 will revolve gear 99 once. The gears and 86 are in the ratio of about 2 to 3, and the gears 81, 88, 39, and are of the same diameter so that, upon two complete rotations of the main reset shaft I3, the reset shafts I0 and I I are respectively r0- tated in opposite directions through approximately one and one-third rotations.

Referring now to the manner in which the reset shafts I0 and II are shifted, it will be seen from Figs. 2 and 4 that the shift bar I9 has bifurcated ends I90 which extend into grooves IOI provided on the right-hand ends of the reset shafts I0 and I I. The shift bar, at its central portion, carries a pair of depending cam followers or rollers I02 which engage opposite sides of a rib I03 of a rotatable cam I04 fixed to gear 99 so as to be rotatable therewith on the main reset shaft. The cam rib I03 is so shaped that, on initially turning the main reset shaft I8, the shift bar is moved laterally to the right so as to draw the reset shafts into the resetting position shown in Fig. 7; then, on continued rotation of the main reset shaft, the reset shafts I0 and II remain in their resetting positions (during which time the counterwheels are reset to zero); and then, as the reset shaft is finishing its second complete rotation, the shift bar is laterally moved to the left so as to push the reset shafts I0 and I i back into the non-resetting position shown in Fig. 6.

In order to limit the rotation of the cam I04 to an angle of 360 during each resetting operation, this cam (which is fixed to gear 99) has on it a disk IIO with which cooperates a stop pawl III. In the present illustrative disclosure, the disk as well as cam I04 and gear 99 are fixed to a sleeve I05 journaled on the shaft I8. The sleeve is driven in unison with the shaft I8 through the gears 85, 86, 98 and 99. The disk has a notch provided with a shoulder II2 which is adapted to engage against the end of the arm II3 of the pawl III, as shown in Fig. 11. Movement of the pawl into and out of stopping position is controlled by an interlock mechanism for preventing resetting of the indicators during a registering operation and after a registering operation until the power is rendered ineffective to drive the indicators, and for preventing a subsequent dispensing operation until the indicators have been reset to zero following the preceding dispensing operation. This interlock mechanism is here shown for illustrative purposes only and, therefore, will be only briefly described. The stop pawl III is pivoted on a stud II4 for limited vertical movement and, to this latter end, the opening I I5 in the pawl, and through which opening the stud Il i extends, is slightly elongated. The pawl III is in the form of a lever, the horizontally extending arm H5 of which has, adjacent its end, an upwardly facing abutment II'I. Also pivoted on the stud H4 is a cam lever II8, the free end of which cooperates with a spiral or involute cam II9 fixed to the sleeve I05 behind the disk H0. The stop pawl I I I is normally urged into engagement with the periphery of the disk IIO by a spring I29. The cam lever is normally urged into engagement with the periphery of the involute cam I I9 by a spring I2I. In order to insure that a resetting operation, once started, is completed,

1 1 .i a ratchet wheel I23, nxed to shaft I8, is engaged by a spring biased pawl I23 pivotally supported tat-ional.

"he numeral l 'voted on a pin 6 and disposer in a plane 1' to the pl nes oi the members I l I main control lever is normally by a spring I27. :er e

lev may be operatively connected, through me .ns not shown, to the hose hook of a pump, it lg sufficient to say here that the arrangement 7 ii that, when the hose nozzle is pla;e:l uncrock, the lever I25 is the full his position shown in Fig. 13

the nozzle freed so th- 11 move to the dotted e p tioli sho- 13 under the influence or" he spring I52 --.rneral I55} designates a port e" control le on the stud or pin I The outwardly extending end of thi lever may, for example, be connected, through suit il sans not shown, to a switch which controls the mot-.1

when the power control lever I3!) is in the depressed position shown by full lines in 13, the switch is open so that a d spensing operation cannot be initiated and, v 1811 th lever raised dotted line position shown in I;

on I

he proceeded with. Pivoted to the main contr lever I25, as at I3i, is a reset release latch 5 adapted to cooperate with the stop pawl III such manner that, when the nozzle is remo from the hook and the main control lever .2 moved to the dotted line position shown in the stop p wl I I l is thrown to the non-open position shown by dotted lines in 11, thus releasing the resetting mechanism for operation. In the present instance, the latch I32 has a downwardly facing tooth 33 adapted to enga e abutment 5!; on the tail end of the stop Ill. It also has a curved toe I29 adapted to co operate with fixed inclined cam surface 5-35,. The rest release latch 32 is normally urged tolt Pivoted by a pin I39 to the right-hand end of the cam lever is a detent I40 corresponding in structure to the release latch I32. The det at as a tooth I 42 cooperating with a shoulder iii the inner end of the power control l ver l J. detent has a curve-cl toe I43 adapted to scope with a fixed inclined cain surface E54. tent is normally urged towards the lever spring Q5.

The operation of the inter ock mechanism is briefly as follows: Starting tn the .i echanism in the condition shown by the full lines of Figs. 11 and 13, and. in which conditi n it is when the nozzle is upon the 1120 it will indicators cannot e re set release lat is in operative relation to the stop p the p pawl is pivoted clockwise with re"erence to g. 11 and is then slightly raised by the spring iii.- to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. ll and in which positi n the upper end of the arm H3 of the stop pawl the stop pawl I The wheels of the indicators may now be reset to zero by turning the reset shaft and the disk III! through an angle of 360 and, when thus turned, further turning movement of the reset shaft is prevented due to the fact that the stop pawl l I i assumed its stopping position with respect to the shoulder I I2. During the resetting operation, the power control lever I30 remains in its inoperative position shown in Fig. 13. It is held in this position by a horizontal L-shaped keeper I36 pivoted by a pin [37 to a suitable projection fixe to the frame A. One end of the keeper normally extends beneath a shoulder I49 13) on the lever normally to prevent movement the col clock How ever, as the resetting operation completed, this lever is automatically thrown into operative position through the c lever H8 and the detent 146. It is observed that, during rotation of the disk, the cam H9 will lower the left-hand end and raise the right-hand end of the cam lever Eh} so that the tooth 12 of the detent I48 is raised to an operative position above the shoulder I M on the inner end of the power control lever. While the detent MD is being raised, one edge of it wipes againthe end IC'El of the keeper 36 to move it clock ise as viewed in Fig. 12 and remove the end I38 from its position beneath shoulder IE2 on lever I30. The other end of keeper has a lug I47 extending through an irregr. -.r shaped opening 548 in main control lever I25. When said lever is moved clockwise, as shown in Fig. 13, when the hose is removed from its hook, he shape of the opening M3 is such that the keeper will remain in its holding position shown in Fig. 12. Further, at the completion of the resetting operation, the left-hand end of the cam lever will move off the big 1 point of the cam M9 to the low point thereof under the influence of the spring l2l. Thereby, the rletent is lowered and, as the tooth I 42 thereof is in position to engage the shoulder I 'll on the power control lever and the keeper I35 been moved from beneath shoulder I49, the power control lever is moved from the full line inoperative position to the dotted line operative position shown in Fig. 13 so as to close the motor switch. As the power control lever is thus moved downward, the curved toe I43 of the detent engages the inclined cam surface I44 with the result that the detent is moved. out of operative engagement with the power control lever. The dispensing operation may now be proceeded with. When the hose nozzle is again placed upon the hook, the main control lever I25 is drawn forwardly so that it again assumes the full line position shown in Fig. 12. and during this operation, an extension Id-S engages the power control lever I 30 thereby moving it to inoperative or switch open position. At the time the main control lever 525 is returned to its full line position in Fig. 13, one edge of the opening 543 engages the lug Ml on keeper I38 to restore it to its position shown in Fig. 12 to dispose the end I38 thereof below shoulder I l-3 of the power control lever I 2.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be rim;

a made without departing from the scope thereof.

13 it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a resettable counter a rotatable reset shaft supported for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions, a counterwheel on said shaft rotatable relative thereto in one direction to perform a counting operation and rotatable by said shaft in the reverse direction to perform a resetting operation, a driven gear rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent said wheel, a driving pawl pivoted to said wheel for swinging movement into and out of driving engagement with said gear, a spring urging said pawl into driving engagement with said gear, friction means for frictionally connecting said wheel with said shaft so that the wheel is returned to zero position when the shaft is rotated during a resetting operation and comprising co-engageable members carried by said shaft and wheel, means on said shaft for swinging said pawl about its pivot and out of driving relation to said gear and for engaging through said pawl said frictional members when the shaft is moved axially to resetting position, and a stop member for stopping said wheel in zero position during a resetting operation.

2. In a resettable counter, a rotatable reset shaft supported for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions, a counterwheel on said shaft rotatable relative thereto in one direction to perform a counting operation and rotatable by said shaft in the reverse direction to perform a resetting operation, a driven gear rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent said wheel, a driving pawl pivoted to said wheel for swinging movement into and out 'of driving engagement with said gear, means on said shaft for swinging said pawl about its pivot and out of driving relation to said gear when the shaft is moved axially to resetting position, friction means for frictionally connecting said wheel with said shaft so that the wheel is returned to zero position when the shaft is rotated during a resetting operation, said friction means comprising a disc carried by said shaft and a cooperating friction element carried by said wheel, said friction element being moved into engagement with said disc by said pawl when said shaft is moved to resetting position and being ineffective when the reset shaft is in non-resetting position, and a stop member for stopping said wheel in zero position during a resetting operation.

3. In a resettable counter, a rotatable reset shaft supported for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions, a counterwheel on said shaft rotatable relative thereto in one direction to perform a counting operation and rotatable by said shaft in the reverse direction to perform a resetting operation, a driven gear rotatably mounted on said shaft in side-by-side relation to said wheel, a driving pawl pivoted to aid wheel for swinging movement in a radial plane relative thereto into and out of engagement with said gear, cooperating said pawl towards said wheel and shaft, friction means for frictionally connecting said wheel with said shaft so that the wheel is frictionally returned to zero position when the shaft is rotated during a resetting operation and comprising co- 15 engageable friction elements carried by said shaft and wheel respectively, said friction elements being moved into frictional engagement when said shaft is moved to resetting position, and a stop member for stopping said wheel in zero position during a setting operation.

4. In a resettable counter, a rotatable reset shaft supported for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions, a counterwheel on said shaft rotatable relative thereto in one direction to perform a counting operation and rotatable by said shaft in a reverse direction to perform a resetting operation, a driven gear rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent said wheel, a driving pawl pivoted to said wheel for swinging movement in a radial plane relative thereto into and out of driving engagement with said gear, a spring urging said pawl toward said gear, means on said shaft for swinging said pawl about its pivot and out of driving relation to said gear when the shaft is moved axially to resetting position, friction means for frictionally connecting said wheel with said shaft so that the wheel is returned to zero position when the shaft is rotated during a resetting operation, a spring for urging said fricto resetting position, and a stop member for stop tional mean into engagement and arranged to be ineffective during a counting operation but associated with said pawl so as to be rendered effective thereby when the reset shaft is moved ping said wheel in zero position during a resetting operation.

5. In a resettable counter, a rotatable reset shaft supported for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions, a counterwheel on said shaft rotatable relative thereto in one direction to perform a counting operation and rotatable by said shaft in a reverse direction to perform a resetting operation, a driven gear rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent said wheel, a driving pawl pivoted to said wheel for swinging movement in a radial plane relative thereto into and out of driving engagement with said gear, a spring urging said pawl into driving engagement with said gear, friction means for frictionally connecting said wheel with said shaft 50 that the wheel is returned to zero position when the shaft is rotated during a resetting operation and comprising co-engageable friction members carried by said shaft and wheel respectively, a

spring between said pawl and said co-engageable member carried by said wheel, means on said shaft for swinging said pawl about its pivot and out of driving relation to said gear and for causing said pawl to compress said second mentioned spring and thereby urge said co-engageable members into frictional engagement with each other when said shaft is moved axially to resetting position, and a stop member for stopping said wheel 7 in zero position during a resetting operation.

wheel on said shaft rotatable relative 6. In a resettable counter, a rotatable reset shaft supported for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions, counterwheel on said shaft rotatable relative theret in one direction to perform a counting operation and rotatable by said shaft in the reverse direction to perform a resetting operation, a driven gear rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent said wheel, a driving pawl pivoted to said wheel for swinging movement into and out of driving engagement with said gear, a spring for urging said pawl into driving engagement with said gear, means on said shaft for swinging said pawl about its pivot and out of driving relation to said gear when the shaft is moved axially to resetting position, friction means for frictionally connecting said wheel with said shaft so that the wheel is returned to zero position when the shaft is r tated during a resetting operation, said friction means comprising a disc carried by said shaft and a cooperating friction element carried by said. wheel, a spring between said pawl and friction element inoperative during a counting operation and arranged to be compressed by said pawl when said shaft is moved to resetting position to thereby resiliently hold said disc and friction element in frictional engagement, and a stop member r stopping said wheel in zero position during a resetting operation.

7. In a resettable counter, a rotatable reset shaft supported for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions and provided with a circumferential groove, a counterthereto in one direction to perform a counting operation and rotatable by said shaft in a reverse direction to perform a resetting operation, a driven gear rotatably mounted on said shaft adjacent said wheel, a driving pawl pivoted to said wheel. for swinging movement in a radial plane relative thereto into and out of driving engagement with said gear, a spring urging said pawl toward said gear, said pawl having a portion thereon disposed in the circumferential groove of said shaft when said shaft is in non-resetting position, and one of the walls of said groove engaging said portion of said pawl to swing it about its pivot and out of driving relation with said gear when the shaft is moved axially to resetting position, friction means for frictionally connecting said wheel with said shaft so that the wheel is returned to zero position when the shaft is rotated during a resetting operation, said friction means being associated with and rendered effective by said pawl when the reset shaft is moved to resetting position, and being ineffective when the reset shaft is in non-resetting position, and a stop member for stopping said wheel in zero position during a resetting operation.

8. In a counter, a shaft mounted for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions, a numeral wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation relative thereto during a counting operation, a driven gear mounted on said shaft in side by side relation to said wheel and having on its face opposed to said wheel a complete annular band of fine teeth of generally V-shaped cross-section extending outwardly from the center of rotation of the gear, a driving pawl pivotally mounted on said wheel for swin ing movement in a radial plane thereof and having on its free end teeth complementary to and adapted to intermesh with said. serrations, a pivot on said wheel for said pawl so positioned that, when the pawl is engaged with the driven gear and the latter is rotated during a counting operation, the pawl is securely wedged between its pivot and the driven gear and a positive driving engagement is m intained, and means on said shaft for disengaging said pawl from said gear when said shaft is moved into resetting position.

In a counter, a shaft mounted for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting; positions, a numeral wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation relative thereto during a counting operation, a gear rotatably mounted on said shaft in side by side relation to said wheel and having on its face opposed to said wheel an internal, frusto-conical band of fine, generally E -shaped serrations, a pawl pivotally mounted on said wheel for swinging movement in a radial plane which includes the longitudinal axis of the wheel and raving on its free end a number of teeth complementary to and adapted to mesh with s id serrations, a pivot on said wheel for said pawl so positioned that, when the pawl is engaged with said driven gear and the latter is rotated during a counting operation,the line of thrust exerted by the side surfaces of the serrations is slightly beyond the pivot for the pawl and a positive driving engagement is maintained, a spring urging said pawl into engagement with said gear, and mean on the shaft for swin ing said pawl out of driving relation with said gear when the shaft is moved to resetting position.

10. In a counter, a shaft mounted for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions, a plurality of numeral wheels mounted on said shaft for rotation relative thereto dur ng a counting operation, driven gears respectively associated with said wheels and mounted on said shaft in side by side relation to said wheels and each having on its face opposed to its associated wheel a complete annular hand of fine teeth of generally V-shaped crosssection extending outwardly from the center of rotation of the gear, transfer pinions between adjacent wheels and in constant mesh with the driven gear of lower order, a driving pawl pivotally mounted on each wheel for swinging movement in a radial plane thereof and having on its free end teeth complementary to and adapted to intermesh with the serrations of its associated driven gear, a pivot on each wheel for its associated pawl so positioned that, when the pawl is engaged with its driven gear and the latter is rotated during a counting operation, the direct line of thrust exerted on the pawl is generally in the direction of the length of the pawl and a positive driving connection is maintained, said shaft having spaced circumferential grooves respectively accommodating portions of said pawls when the paw-ls are in driving position and arranged to disengage said pawls from their driven gears when said shaft is moved into resetting position.

ll. In a counter, a rotatable reset shaft mounted for axial movement into and out of non-re etting and resetting positions, a numeral wheel on said shaft rotatable relative thereto in one direction during a counting operation and rotatable therewith in the reverse direction during a resetting operation, a driven gear mounted on said shaft in side by side relation to said wheel and haviir on its face opposed to said wheel a complete annular band of line pitch teeth of generally V-shaped cross-section extending outwardly from the center of rotation of the gear, a driving pawl pivotally mounted on said wheel for swinging movement in a radial plane thereof and having on its free end teeth complementary in pitch and shape to and adapted to intermesh with said serrations, a pivot on said wheel for said pawl so positioned that, when the pawl is engaged with the driven gear and the latter is rotated during a counting operation, the line of thrust exerted by the side surfaces of the serrations is slightly beyond the point of pivot for the pawl and a positive driving engagement is maintained, a, spring urging said pawl into engagement with said gear, and means on said shaft for disengaging said pawl from said gear when said shaft is moved into resetting position.

12. In a counter, a rotatable reset shaft mounted for axial movement into and out of non-resetting and resetting positions, a numeral wheel mounted on said shaft for rotation in one direction relative thereto during a counting operation and rotatable by said shaft in the reverse direction during a resetting operations, a gear rotatably mounted on said shaft in side by side relationito said wheel and having on its face opposed to said wheel an internal, frustoconical band of fine, generally V-shaped serrations, a pawl pivotally mounted on said wheel for swinging movement in a radial plane which includes the longitudinal axis of the wheel and having on its free end a number of tangentially extending teeth complementary to and adapted to mesh with said serrations, a pivot on said wheel for said pawl so positioned that, when the pawl is engaged with said driven gear and the latter is rotated during a counting operation, the pawl is securely wedged between its pivot and the driven gear and a positive driving engagement is maintained, a, spring urging said pawl into engagement with said gear, means on the shaft for swinging said pawl out of driving relation with said gear when the shaft is moved to resetting position, and friction means rendered effective by said pawl when swinging out of driving relation for frictionally connecting said wheel to said shaft for resetting.

HARVEY N. BLISS.

No references cited. 

